Welcome to the Year of Sequestration!

We have learned a new word this year: "Sequestration."  If we are not sure what it means, we sure are learning its effects!  For example:  No More US Jet Teams!  Gone are the eardrum breaking roars of the F/A-18's and the F-16's!  Gone are the crowds filled with unabashed shrieks of "OOOOOOHHHH's" and "NNNNOOOOOO's." Gone are those wonderful faces filled with the anticipation of viewing precision flying at its best - with eyes covered ( well, maybe not both!) for fear of watching near collision-like maneuvers.  The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are reasons why so many of our youth enlist and become tomorrow's heroes.   All for the sake of the budget!!!

We just returned from the first Air Show of the season:  the Valiant Air Command in Titusville, Florida.  Though relatively small, it generally features WWll aircraft and acts as a wonderful springboard for our show season.  This year, the Thunderbirds were headlined - it was to be their first and last show!  There were record-breaking crowds on all three days:  March 22, 23, 24, not to mention the over-booked motels, the long lines at the gas stations, and the overcrowded restaurants with a ten mile radius.  Talk about a local economic boom!  But, too expensive for our budget!

There is no doubt that there is wasteful spending, but . . . Welcome to the year of sequestration!